Have you ever marvelled at your child’s memory and wished yours was as good? Many children have excellent memory retention. As they get older, however, and more stimuli and information is introduced, they slowly begin selecting which memories to keep, which ones to forget or lose, just as your memory is now. This doesn’t have to be the case, though, and if you take the time to enhance your child’s memory power now, you could greatly help them in the future.

Here are a few memory enhancing techniques.

Read and point

Regularly reading with your child will help their memory. Regular reading boosts a child’s memory because it helps promote concentration and it helps stimulate imagination and thought. The brain functions involved in processing written language, imagining the story, following the story, and being patient to finish a story all aid memory (and behaviour too!). Read to your child at least three times a week, and point at the words in the story while you read to them. This will also help strengthen their vocabulary. (Source)

Sing

Many teachers in both schools and tutorial centers use this technique. By turning what needs to be memorised into a rhyme or song, teachers make it easier for a child to remember the information. Singing stimulates other areas of the brain, and when multiple areas of the brain are asked to process the same information, the chances of it being easier to remember and of it being remembered precisely how it should be remembered increase. If you’re wary about creating songs, just use the melodies of already known nursery rhymes. They lend themselves very well to made-up lyrics. (Source)

Chunk information

Another popular technique for enhancing memory is to “chunk” information, which means presenting information in sections, with each section containing three to four pieces that need to be remembered. The best example of this is the telephone number. When giving out a number, we usually give four numbers or three numbers at a time. For example: +632-555-6767. Chunking information is one of the best ways to help your child remember important details. Couple it with a rhyme or a song and they are well on their way to never forgetting your instructions!

Connect it to what they already know

Like all people, children remember better when the information to be remembered can be connected to something they already know. For example, let’s say your child likes Sofia the First. Now, let’s say you are trying to get them to remember all of their table manners, and there was an episode on Sofia the First about table manners. Instead of always reminding them of their table manners, you can ask them to remember what Peppa Pig did at the dining table, and make them realise that what Sofia did is very similar to what you are asking them to do. They are more likely to remember because there is a connection that they enjoy and to which they can relate.

Add sensory cues

Similar to singing, which is a sensory experience, if you couple information that needs to be remembered with a sensory experience, like clapping for example, then your child will have something else with which to associate the information. A clap can be added after each step of a process to help them remember every step. You can even use different claps or multiple claps. They may get confused in the beginning, but eventually they will remember, and strengthen their memory at that!

Continuously present information

One of the best ways to preserve and enhance memory is to continuously present the information. Like learning a language, the more the new language is presented, the more likely they will remember. Going through steps, processes, and routines again and again will help your child remember and help enhance their memory. So whenever something is important, go through it often!

Training your child’s memory power from a very young age will help them in the future. A strong memory is useful in both school and after-school activities. To help boost your child’s memory further, enroll them in classes at a tutorial center that specializes in the type of classes that enhance memory skills, such as language classes, robotics, or programming.